UND Aerospace Foundation and Norwegian agency renew air traffic control training contract as 25 more students graduatePosted on 7/2/2013

The University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation (UNDAF) recently renewed a contract with Avinor, Norway's airport management agency, to train future Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers.

The renewal came just in time, as 25 Norwegian students completed their air traffic control education at UND's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences on June 28. That class would have concluded a three-year agreement between UND and Avinor before the agency signed on for two more years.

The new contract will bring 28 more Norwegian students to UND in September of this year and another class in September of 2014, according to Chuck Pineo, executive vice president of the UND Aerospace Foundation.

Kristen Kleven, Avinor chief of staff; and Jesper Krogh, Avinor head of training; joined Pineo, Paul Drechsel, chair of the UND Air Traffic Control Department; Terri Clark, director of fiscal affairs for the Odegard School; and Cara Miller, a controller for the Aerospace Foundation, at the June 28 graduation event and contract signing.

The UND International Air Traffic Control education program is based on Eurocontrol's Common Core Content (CCC) and is certified by the Norwegian Civilian Aviation Authority.

This certification ensures the program meets all the required criteria. This is a CCC "Initial Training" program, which includes theory, part-task practice and simulation.